إِنّيindeed I وَرَبِّand by the Lord of رِجالٍmen شَعبُهُمtheir people شُعَبٌclans
إِنّي وَرَبِّ رِجالٍ شَعبُهُم شُعَبٌ
شَتّىdiverse يَطوفونَthey circumambulate حَولَaround البَيتِthe House وَالحَجَرِand the Stone
شَتّى يَطوفونَ حَولَ البَيتِ وَالحَجَرِ
I swear by the Lord of men whose people branch into clans,
By God! The tribes of these men are scattered tribes,
of diverse kinds, circling the House and the Stone.
They circle around the House and the Stone.
جاءَتcame بِهِمwith them قُلُصٌyoung she-camels فُتلٌsplayed outward مَرافِقُهاtheir elbows
جاءَت بِهِم قُلُصٌ فُتلٌ مَرافِقُها
قُبُّlean البُطونِthe bellies مِنَfrom الإِدلاجِnight travel وَالبُكَرِand early starts
قُبُّ البُطونِ مِنَ الإِدلاجِ وَالبُكَرِ
Young she-camels brought them, their elbows splayed outward,
Lean bellies brought them, their ribs concave
their bellies lean from night travel and early starts.
From hunger and virginity.
مِنfrom كُلِّevery قَراوَءَlong-backed she-camel مَعقودٍfirmly joined فَقارَتُهاher spinal joint
مِن كُلِّ قَراوَءَ مَعقودٍ فَقارَتُها
عَلىupon مُنيفٍlofty كُرُكنِlike the buttress of الطَودِthe mountain وَالضَفَرِand the stone rampart
عَلى مُنيفٍ كُرُكنِ الطَودِ وَالضَفَرِ
Each a long-backed she-camel, her spine firmly knit
The hump of every young female camel is tied
upon a lofty hump, like a mountain buttress and a stone rampart.
To tent poles, bending like the hump of a bull.
يُمِرُّglides مِرفَقُهاher elbow بِالدَفِّalong the flank مُعتَرِضاًcrosswise
يُمِرُّ مِرفَقُها بِالدَفِّ مُعتَرِضاً
مَرَّthe sliding of الوَليدِthe child عَلىover الزُحلوفَةِthe smooth sliding rock الأَشِرِgleeful
مَرَّ الوَليدِ عَلى الزُحلوفَةِ الأَشِرِ
Her elbow glides crosswise along her flank,
Her elbow strikes the tambourine, intercepting
like a gleeful child sliding over a smooth rock.
The path of Al-Walid at Az-Zuhlufah the Most Evil.
تَقاعَسَتdrew back كَتِفاهاher two shoulder blades بِعدَهاbeyond them حُنِيَتwere bent
تَقاعَسَت كَتِفاها بِعدَها حُنِيَت
بِالمَنكِبَينِat the two shoulders رُؤوسُthe heads of الأَعظُمِthe bones الأُخَرِthe other ones
بِالمَنكِبَينِ رُؤوسُ الأَعظُمِ الأُخَرِ
Her shoulder blades drew back; beyond them were bent,
Their shoulders incline backwards after straightening,
at both shoulders, the heads of the other bones.
The heads of the tall ones lowered with the shoulders.
قَضَينَthey completed حَجّاًa pilgrimage وَحاجاتٍand other needs عَلىin عَجَلٍhaste
قَضَينَ حَجّاً وَحاجاتٍ عَلى عَجَلٍ
ثُمَّthen اِستَدرَنَthey turned back إِلَيناtoward us لَيلَةَthe night of النَفَرِthe departure
ثُمَّ اِستَدرَنَ إِلَينا لَيلَةَ النَفَرِ
They completed a pilgrimage and other needs in haste,
They performed the pilgrimage and their needs hastily,
then turned back toward us on the night of departure.
Then they hastened to us on the night of departure.
لَولاwere it not for حُمَيدَةُHumayda ماnot هامَpined الفُؤادُthe heart وَلاand not
لَولا حُمَيدَةُ ما هامَ الفُؤادُ وَلا
رَجَّيتُI hoped for وَصَلَunion with الغَوانيbeautiful women آخِرَthe end of العُمُرِlife
رَجَّيتُ وَصَلَ الغَواني آخِرَ العُمُرِ
Were it not for Humayda, my heart would not have pined, nor
If it weren’t for Humaydah, the heart wouldn’t waver, and I wouldn’t have hoped
would I have hoped for union with beauties late in life.
For the realization of desires at the end of life.
أَحبَبتُهاI loved her فَوقَbeyond ماwhat ظَنَّimagined العُداةُthe enemies بِناabout us
أَحبَبتُها فَوقَ ما ظَنَّ العُداةُ بِنا
حُبَّa love of العَلاقَةِdeep attachment لاnot حُبّاًa love عَلىbased on الخَبَرِhearsay
حُبَّ العَلاقَةِ لا حُبّاً عَلى الخَبَرِ
I loved her beyond what our enemies imagined of us:
I loved her beyond what the enemies thought of us -
a love of deep attachment, not a love based on hearsay.
A love of passion, not just infatuation.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen قُلتُI said هَذاthis المَوتُdeath أَدرَكَنيcame to my aid
حَتّى إِذا قُلتُ هَذا المَوتُ أَدرَكَني
صَبرُthe patience of الكِرامِnoble men وَضَربُand the bracing of الجَأشِthe heart لِلقَدَرِbefore fate
صَبرُ الكِرامِ وَضَربُ الجَأشِ لِلقَدَرِ
Until, when I said, “This is death,” there came to my aid
Until when I said: “Death has overtaken me,”
the patience of noble men and steadfastness of heart before fate.
It was the patience of the honourable and the striking of fate.
وَلَنand never will تُعَزِّيَyou console نَفساًa soul حَرَّةًnoble أَبَداًever
وَلَن تُعَزِّيَ نَفساً حَرَّةً أَبَداً
إِلّاunless اِستَمَرَّتit persisted عَزوفاًrenouncing desire جَلدَةَsteadfast in الصَبِرِpatience
إِلّا اِستَمَرَّت عَزوفاً جَلدَةَ الصَبِرِ
And you will never console a noble soul
And no impassioned soul will ever be consoled,
unless it carries on, renouncing desire, firm in patience.
Except if it remains aloof, enduring with steadfastness.
ياO حَبَّذاhow lovely نَسَمٌa breath مَنfrom فيكِyour mouth يَمزُجُهُmingles it
يا حَبَّذا نَسَمٌ مَن فيكِ يَمزُجُهُ
عودُa twig of الأَراكِthe arak tree جَلاlaid bare عَنfrom بارِدٍcool خَصِرِchilly
عودُ الأَراكِ جَلا عَن بارِدٍ خَصِرِ
Ah, how lovely a breath from your mouth, mingled by
O if only a breeze would blow from you, mixing in it
an arak twig that laid bare a cool, chilly mouth.
The aromatic wood, smooth over a cold waist!
هَلdo تَذكُرينَyou remember مَقيلاًa midday resting place لَستُI am not ناسِيَهُforgetting it
هَل تَذكُرينَ مَقيلاً لَستُ ناسِيَهُ
بَينَamong الأَبارِقِthe rocky sandhills ذاتَbearing المَرخِmarkh shrubs وَالسَمُرِand samur trees
بَينَ الأَبارِقِ ذاتَ المَرخِ وَالسَمُرِ
Do you remember a midday resting place I have not forgotten,
Do you remember a night I can't forget
among rocky sandhills bearing markh shrubs and samur trees,
Between the lightning, the flares and the pine wood?
بِبَطنِin the bed of واديthe valley of سَنامٍSanam حَيثُwhere قابَلَهُmet it
بِبَطنِ وادي سَنامٍ حَيثُ قابَلَهُ
وادٍa valley مِنَfrom الشُعبَةِthe ravine اليُمنىthe right-hand بِمُنحَدِرِon a slope
وادٍ مِنَ الشُعبَةِ اليُمنى بِمُنحَدِرِ
in the bed of Wadi Sanam, where it was met
In the valley of Sanam, where it meets
by a valley from the right-hand ravine, on a slope?
A valley from the right slope with a descent?
لماwhen أتيتُI came علىupon السبعينseventy قلتُI said لهto him
لما أتيتُ على السبعين قلتُ له
ياO ابنson of المسَحَّجِal-Musajjaj هلdo تلويyou bend منfrom الكبرِold age
يا ابن المسَحَّجِ هل تلوي من الكبرِ
When I had reached seventy, I said to him:
When I reached seventy, I said to him:
“O son of al-Musajjaj, do you bend with old age?”
“O son of Musahhaj, does old age twist you?”
شيخan old man تحنّىstooped وأروىand grew full (reading uncertain) لحمُthe flesh of أعظمِهِhis bones
شيخ تحنّى وأروى لحمُ أعظمِهِ
تحنّيَthe bending of النبعةthe nabʿ-wood bow العوجاءthe crooked فيin الوتَرِthe bowstring
تحنّيَ النبعة العوجاء في الوتَرِ
An old man, stooped, with flesh grown full upon his bones,
An old man bent over, the flesh of his bones bent
bent like a crooked nabʿ-wood bow held by its string.
Like the crooked spout bending in the lute.
كأنas though لمَّتَهُhis locks الشعراءal-Shaʿraʾ (apparently a star) إذاwhen طلعتit rose
كأن لمَّتَهُ الشعراء إذا طلعت
منfrom آخرthe end of الليلthe night تتلوfollowing دارةthe circle of العمرِal-ʿUmr (unclear here)
من آخر الليل تتلو دارة العمرِ
His locks seemed like al-Shaʿraʾ as it rose
It was as if his blindness ensnared him, when at the end of night
late in the night, following the circle of al-ʿUmr.
The poets rose to bid farewell to the days of life.
Sol 6.1